"Those who understand the true nature of humanity are always loners"
Dean Cavanagh
He was standing still, staring at the unrelenting sea: shivers were running up and down his spine, his stomach was painfully knot. He was safe, in Dragonstone, but terrified, and fascinated by what was occurring in front of him. The sea had turned dark, a darkness only enlightened by the white foam. The waves were breaking against the rocks with terrible sounds, the wind was howling like a desperate pack of wolves. A storm like that had taken his parents away from him when he was just a child. A child who had forgotten how to smile, and who never learnt how to laugh. He suddenly wondered if things would have been different if his parents had lived. If he could have been happy. Has he ever been? He grinded his teeth.
"Your grace?"
He didn't turn around:
"Ser Davos", he greeted.
"Have you made up your mind?..." the old smuggler carefully asked.
Davos was staring at the man in front of him, at his king. But his quest was almost failing. Stannis Baratheon needed allies. Of course, he never would agree on that point but the fact was that it was true. He was the rightful king of Westeros, he knew it, since that message from Eddard Stark had reached them. Robert's children were not his. They were born from a monstrous incest between Cersei and Jaime Lannister. Sometimes, Davos was wondering how Robert has never seen it, how Stannis and Renly, his younger brothers, had not seen it either: the children were as blonde as a wheat field, and the Baratheons as dark haired as the howling sea. He waited for Stannis's answer, impatient. He wanted, more than anything, to give his King what belonged to him. Stannis had to be reasonnable, and that was not one of his qualities.
"Yes", was the only word that reached him.
Davos held back a relieved sigh. He was right to hold it back, because Stannis turned to him. He wasn't done.
"I don't want to marry again."
Selyse, Stannis's wife, had died almost a year ago. Of course, the situation was different back then: Robert was alive, Stannis was here, in Dragonstone, as a Lord. Joffrey was seen by everybody as the rightful heir, and Stannis's marriage was a fiasco. He didn't want to live that again, he didn't want his only child, Shireen, to have to cope with a mother-in-law who would look at her as if she was a monster. The young girl had already lived that with her own mother, and it had been awful for her. Davos was staring at Stannis, then looked down.
"Your Grace..." he started.
"I know", Stannis interrupted him, clearly annoyed. "I know what you are going to say, Ser Davos."
He turned his back at him, watching the storm again. The wind was less violent, the waves were not as big. A strange feeling of relief overwhelmed him.
"May I speak?" Davos asked after a moment. He was cautious: he knew Stannis could get angry easily. Baratheon have always been hot-blooded. Stannis was very different from Robert though. The eldest stag, when he was angry, was loud and physically violent, ready to charge anyone who would pass by him. That's why he was a great warrior on the battlefield. The younger stag, him, was not expressive and has never been. His anger was suppressed and cold. That's why he was a great tactician. And there was Renly... Renly was handsome, young, nice and lovable. The opposite of his two brothers. Davos knew Stannis couldn't defeat Renly: Renly had friends, allies, and Stannis, the lonely stag, has always despised the others. As a result, now he had to fight for a throne which should be naturally his, he was alone. As an answer to his request, Stannis slightly nodded.
"Your Grace", Davos said, choosing carefully his words. "I am not good at speeches. You know that. I'm a smuggler. I'm not a warrior either. But I know Renly has more men than us. This woman could bring us victory."
"Soldiers will give us victory", Stannis retorted, grinding his teeth again.
"More soldiers will, for sure", Davos retorted back.
"She is just a child", the King said again.
"A child who could give you sons."
Stannis's eyes narrowed and became as dark as night. Davos looked down. Stannis walked to him and stopped right by his side:
"I respect you, Davos Seaworth. You know I do. You have always given me good advices. Yes, you are just a smuggler, but you are more honest with me than all these lords, ready to stab me in the back at the earliest opportunity."
Davos looked up at him: he was moved by what his King had told him but he knew he had to seize this chance:
"Then please, my King, follow my advice one more time. This is our last chance to win the Iron Throne."
For a long moment, the two men stared at each other. None of them looked down, or away. Davos knew it was a test. And he had to hold back a second relieved sigh when the King said:
"Very well. You'll meet her."